2023 Volume 60 Issue 4 Pages 245-254
Working memory is a set of processes that holds a limited amount of information temporarily for use in ongoing cognitive processing. Recent research has indicated that working memory is not only related to difficulties of individuals with intellectual disabilities; it might also play a causal role in intellectual disabilities. The present paper discusses the current state and future directions of research on the working memory of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The results of the present review of the working memory literature in intellectual disabilities indicate that the characteristics of the verbal and visuospatial working memory of individuals with intellectual disabilities differ depending on the etiology of their intellectual disability. Attentional control in working memory is also suggested as a common deficit in individuals with intellectual disabilities. Issues raised in earlier research and directions for future research that are discussed include underlying mechanisms of the characteristics of the working memory of individuals with intellectual disabilities, training working memory, and the relationship between working memory and long-term memory.
